What Once Was, Is Again
by Kaira-chan15
Summary: Although they manage to kill Naraku, everyone in Inuyasha's group is killed except for himself. Very near death and in his human form, he is found by Kikyo. Will their life return to what it once was? InuyashaKikyo, also some InuyashaKagome.


**What Once Was, Is Again**

This is just a story that I randomly thought up, and before anyone gets any ideas, no, I am not a Kikyo/Inuyasha fan. I prefer Kagome/Inuyasha. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

_thoughts_

"talking"

The battle was nothing like they had planned. They were supposed to be winning, not losing! Everything was going downhill; they were dying, all of them, one by one. Inuyasha blamed himself for this. If he was a full demon, not a stupid half demon, then he wouldn't have these nights where he changed into a human. _Damn new moon…why did you have to show tonight? _Inuyasha thought angrily. He glanced over at Kagome, who was trying to pull the weeping Sango away from Miroku's dead body. Shippo was also dead; only Kagome, Sango, and he were left.

"Damn you, Naraku!" Inuyasha growled. Naraku had also taken many bad hits from them, but he wasn't anywhere near death.

"Naraku!!!" He heard Sango scream and run at Naraku, but he couldn't do anything. He was pathetically weak in his human form, and he was even weaker from the blows he took. He watched Sango throw her weapon at him in full force, and watched as Naraku knocked it away. He wanted to do something as Naraku thrust a tentacle through her chest, but he couldn't bring his weakened, damaged body to move.

He heard Kagome scream as Sango's body was tossed aside, but still, he couldn't do a thing. Hand clutched over his gaping chest wound, Inuyasha watched through dazed eyes as Kagome shot an arrow towards Naraku's chest. Damn it, how he wanted to hold a transformed tessaiga in his hand right now. He glanced at the worthless piece of metal at his side. The only time it did him any good in this state was when he stabbed Sesshomaru's eye with it…_Wait, that's it!_ He thought suddenly.

Naraku had knocked away the arrow easily, and was going after Kagome now. Kagome already had another arrow strung and ready, but wouldn't be able to shoot it in time. Naraku lunged at the girl, but didn't get very far before Inuyasha pounced onto his back and stabbed his sword into his eyes.

Naraku screamed and clawed at his bleeding eyes. _I didn't know that he had enough strength left to move! _Naraku thought. He lashed out at the human Inuyasha on his back, successfully knocking him off.

"Naraku!" Kagome yelled. He turned his attention to her direction just in time to see the arrow pierce his heart. Naraku stared in amazement first at Kagome, then at the blood pouring heavily from his wound. Slowly, he fell to the ground, eyes blank. _Is Naraku…dead? _Inuyasha asked himself. It almost seemed too easy…but it was true. Their greatest enemy was dead, after all the time they had spent hunting him down…they won the battle. But they had paid greatly for it.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a body thud to the ground-Kagome's body. "No! Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed, dragging himself over to her. He cradled her to his chest. Her eyes were open and she was smiling weakly at him.

"Come on Kagome, you're going to make it through!" Inuyasha was lying, and he knew it. Kagome had gotten her fair share of injuries from Naraku too, and even if they weren't life-threatening, she was dying of blood loss.

"Inu…yasha…" She whispered. "I'm sorry…that I can't be with you. But…I want you to have the life…that I stood in the way of…I love you, goodbye…" Her eyes closed, and she fell limp in his arms.

"No, no, no! Kagome, don't leave me! I love you too!" He screamed, but he knew it would do no good. She was dead. The girl he loved was dead. So were Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo! All his friends were dead. _I hope I die soon too…then I can be with them again…_ He knew it wasn't long before he would die anyways, seeing as he had many wounds, all which were bleeding furiously.

As his vision began to blacken and he began to feel limp, he knew it was time. _I'm coming guys…wait for me! _He pitched forward, collapsing in a huge puddle of his own blood. The last thing he heard before he blacked out was the soft sound of approaching foot steps, and a familiar woman's voice calling his name.

ONCEWHATWASISAGAINWHATONCEWASISAGAINWHATONCEWASISAGAIN

Inuyasha blinked slowly, wondering where he was. He was dead, wasn't he? Then why was a soft hand wiping the blood from his wounds with a wet cloth? Trying to focus his blurry vision, he peered up at his care taker. Long black hair…brown eyes…priestess clothes…

Inuyasha gasped. "Kikyo!?" He cried, but immediately regretted it seeing as he coughed up some blood.

"Do not speak, Inuyasha. Your injuries are great, and it is amazing that I found you before you died. Do not kill yourself now." She spoke calmly.

"But what about the others…are they ok?" He asked.

She made a pained face. "Inuyasha, have you forgotten? Your friends…they are dead." Memories flooded back to him, and he bowed his head. Tears were stinging the corners of his eyes, but he ignored him. As they fell and streamed down his face in great numbers, he continued to not notice. He was ashamed to show his tears in front of Kikyo, but he couldn't help it. He was all alone in the world again….

Kikyo was amazed when she saw tears staining Inuyasha's face. She had never seen him cry, not once. "Inuyasha…I know you must feel terrible right now. Just try and get some rest while I tend to your wounds." She began, gently wiping his tears away. "As soon as your wounds are healed, then we can go and bury them and you can pay your respects to their graves."

"No…I need to go to their bodies now…it's the least I can do for them…" Inuyasha managed to get out while trying to sit up. Kikyo pushed him gently back down.

"No, Inuyasha. You can go to them later, but you are in no position to now." She walked over to the door and glanced out. "The sun is almost up. Wait until you are a half demon again, until your injuries are healed, to go to them." She said glancing at him. He relaxed slightly at her gaze, but could not get rid of the guilty feeling flooding him.

"It's my fault that they're all dead…" He muttered. Kikyo looked at him questioningly.

"How so?"

"It's because I'm a half demon that I put them in danger. I don't have the power to protect them on these nights when I turn human."

"That is something that you can't control." Kikyo had put down the mashed up herbs she was applying to his wounds. "Your father was a full demon and your mother was a human, correct? Having a half demon child was inevitable, but they chose to have one anyways. It is not your fault." Inuyasha found he was relaxed and reassured at her words.

"Kikyo…why did you save me?" He asked. The question was really bothering him. "I was very near death, and you couldn't have gone through all this trouble to save me if you didn't have a reason." Kikyo looked thoughtful for a moment, and when she spoke, she chose her words carefully.

"I suppose the reason is that I…have not yet fully let go of the past…" She said slowly. Inuyasha looked confused.

"Not let go of the past? What do you mean by that?" Inuyasha knew what she was trying to say, but he wanted to hear her say it in the simple way.

"I mean that I still harbor feelings for you…" She knew what he was trying to do, but it was not so easy to say it.

"What kind of feelings?" Inuyasha was teasing her now.

"Feelings of affection…" Kikyo said uncomfortably.

"In simpler terms?" He barely got the words out of his mouth before she was leaning over him and her lips were against his. Her long, dark hair draped around them like curtains, shielding them from view.

When they parted, she replied, "In simpler terms, I love you."

ONCEWHATWASISAGAINWHATONCEWASISAGAINWHATONCEWASISAGAIN

A few days later, Inuyasha and Kikyo stood over five graves, the graves of his closest friends. Buried beneath the soil were the bodies of Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Kagome. He went to their graves one by one, placing flowers by the grave marker. The first one he passed was Miroku. "Miroku…you were the closest friend that I've ever had, even if you were a perv. Don't go feeling any angels' butts in heaven." Inuyasha said quietly, smiling to himself.

Next was Sango. "You were one of the strongest women that I've ever met, Sango, and you were a really great friend too. Hopefully Miroku keeps his hands off of you in heaven." Still smiling, he moved onto Shippo's grave.

"Shippo, although you could be an annoying little thing, you were the closest thing I've ever had to a kid…I know that you would've grown up to be a tall, strong demon some day…" Inuyasha whispered, dropping flowers on his grave. Right next to Shippo's grave was Kirara's.

"Kirara, although you couldn't talk or anything, you were an important member of our group. Thanks for helping me train with the tessaiga, and thanks for always helping us in our battles." After he moved on from Kirara's grave, Kagome was last.

"Kagome…" He said quietly, kneeling down by the grave. "You were the sweetest, kindest, and most amazing person that I've ever met. Thanks for sticking by me through all that we've been through…I love you…" He paused, and then said the words that he knew she would want him to say. "Kagome, you never stood in the way of my life with Kikyo. It was never your fault. I'm going to fulfill your dying wish though; I know that you wouldn't want me to live in misery and regret for the rest of my life." Standing up, he walked back over to Kikyo.

_I won't end my life. Instead, I'll live the rest of my life without misery and regret; I'll live it out, with Kikyo, just like It once was. And what once was is now again._ Hand in hand, Kikyo and Inuyasha tore away from the graves and headed back towards the hut. Watching them go were five transparent figures, floating over each of their own graves, smiling after the two.

I hope this story wasn't too weird. I kinda suck at battle scenes, so I apologize. Hopefully, you all enjoyed it, and if so please review!


End file.
